COP18: Forests are homes and habitats, not just carbon sinks

COP18 (29/11/12) – Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Executive Director of Tebtebba and a Philippine negotiator, explains that this COP must agree how REDD+ is financed and how best it is implemented.

Tauli-Corpuz explains that she is co-chairing a working group under SBSTA on how to create national forest monitoring systems, track the emission reductions that forests are responsible for and how to implement the REDD+ safeguards agreed in Cancun.

Tauli-Corpuz explains there is a division between governments only willing to pay for carbon emission reductions and developing countries that are keen for biodiversity and poverty reduction to be included in the aims of REDD+ programmes.

Tauli-Corpuz emphasises that REDD+ must safeguard the rights and cultural history of indigenous peoples. She explains that indigenous peoples are concerned that the view of forests as little more than ‘carbon sinks’ could lead to the displacement of and the undermining of the livelihoods of indigenous peoples.

COP19: Victoria Tauli-Corpuz on the importance of having indigenous peoples at these talks

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz , Tebtebba,Indigenous People's International Centre for Policy Research and Education

COP19 (20/11/13) – Victoria Tauli-Corpuz the Executive Director of the Tebtebba, the Indigenous People’s International Centre for Policy Research and Education talks about the importance of having indigenous people at these talks.

She talks about the role of indigenous people within these talks, particularly the negotiations of forests. A large proportion of the worlds tropical forests are in the territory on indigenous people. Indigioues people should be involved in any process that is making decisiosn about their land.

At the talks indigenous people engage in all levels of decision making. Trauli-Corpuz is part of the Philippine delegation whilst some of her other partners come with NGOs to put pressure on their governments from a civil society seat.

Info Clip: The Crucial Role of Indigenous Peoples in Managing Forests

The world's remaining forests are found in indigenous territories. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz discusses the crucial role that indigenous peoples play in ensuring that forests are conserved, sustainably used and managed.

Produced by Tebtebba, August 2012.

REDD+: Traditional Knowledge and Climate Science

Over US$5bn has been committed to REDD Projects in the last few years and promises of many more billions have been made. As of September 2011, the main global REDD database had 480 registered projects in 36 countries amounting to $3.35bn. The vast majority of these projects are on Indigenous lands and/or territories.

The scale of the REDD experiment, combined with the lack of relevant experience with REDD+ projects, has meant that projects have confronted considerable problems and delays. A recent global review of REDD+ projects noted that they face many challenges, including: criteria for sustainable forest management, monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, local tenure arrangements, permanence and baseline issues that can be effectively addressed only if local communities are able to properly participate in the REDD+ projects.

The review also found that despite widespread recognition that local ownership is key to REDD+ success, the scope and intensity of their participation has not always been adequate and often there is lack of clarity about their role in implementation.

Film produced by United Nations University.

Fever - Resilience

Resilience - Examples of indigenous peoples increasing their resilience to climate change by strengthening their customary systems and developing new approaches for adaptation. (22 minutes)

Resilience is the ability to cope and recover from abrupt change. Indigenous peoples who are organised, confident to adjust their systems to changing circumstances, while maintaining their identity strong, will be better able to withstand shocks caused by climate change.The film shows 5 examples of this: cultural resilience; traditional forest management; strengthening customary law to live within the limits of the environment; maintaining seed diversity; and adapting traditional systems to cope with water scarcity.

Fever - A Video Guide' consists of 4 short films for indigenous communities to raise awareness and build knowledge about the issue of climate change and how it relates to indigenous peoples, cultures, rights and territories. In these films we hear the stories of indigenous peoples from communities in Ecuador, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Fever was awarded the 2010 award for Creativity and Contribution to the Indigenous Narrative by the Indigenous Peoples’ Latin American Network for Film and Communication at the Xth International Indigenous Film and Video Festival in Quito, Ecuador.